92 more 108 ambulances to augment healthcare service in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, May 6:

Odisha government today signed two MoUs – one with the Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) and the other with Zikitza Health Care Limited (ZHCL) here at state Secretariat in presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to improve the healthcare delivery system.

The state requires more number of specialist doctors to provide expert services in peripheral areas. The venture with PHFI will provide support to the post graduate programmes in the district headquarter hospitals across the state, offered by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Mumbai and National Board of Examinations, said Naveen Patnaik.

“In order to provide quick medical facilities to the people across the state, the state government gas been operating 108 Ambulance Service since 2013 with a current fleet of 420 ambulances. I am happy to announce that the state government has sanctioned 92 more ambulances from the state fund to augment its 108 fleet,” the CM said after the MoU with ZHCL.

Besides, six boat ambulances have been sanctioned from the state budget to be deployed in the cut-off areas of Koraput, Malkangiri, Kalahandi and Kendrapara districts, he added.

Moreover, 28 basic life support ambulances will be upgraded to advanced life support ambulances for improving the emergency response service along the critical roadways. The ZHCL which is currently running the 108 fleet will continue to run the additional ambulances with a common call centre facility, he concluded.